Financial Execs Not Drawn To Dazzle of New Technology

BOSTON -- "Excuse me, can I utilize your 'risk mitigator' to check up on my e-mail?"

Okay, maybe you won't hear your norm executive director request that inquiry anytime soon. But it would be an liable verbal description coming from person in the fiscal services industry who utilizes a garden-variety Blackberry for much more than than just accessing e-mails and juggle schedules. That was the lesson here at the Financial Mobility Acme this hebdomad in Boston.

"A Blackberry not only lets an investing staff to remain in changeless communication theory with a trading desk and other personnel, but is used to assist extenuate risks," said Joe Piotrowski, frailty president of fixed income and equity engineering at medium frequencies Investing Management. "They are not just e-mail redirectors."

That, in a nutshell, is the position of mobility and mobile devices in the human race of finance and investment where Blackberries regulation and the effectivity of software system is measured in how many different ways it can slit and die data. It is also an country where the cost of a device and IT serves have less to make with tax return on investing (ROI) than trying to mensurate the impact of going cold Meleagris gallopavo without a mobile device on your hip.

But, "the cost of doing without is hard to measure," noted Piotrowski, "since it affects tracking such as things as missed chances and interaction with customers."

Just what are fiscal services people looking for in a device? Put about 200 of them in a room for a couple of years and you'll quickly happen out, which is just what happened during this week's summit, which was sponsored by Pyxidium Mobile, a shaper of mobile fiscal services software.

The replies may surprise you. Sure, they are tempted by the up-to-the-minute engineering appliance and gizmo. However, they are more than interested in systems and software system that tin supply speedy and accurate snapshots of information with the least impact on their day-to-day grind.

"We're not looking to implement or completely change the manner people run their territories," explained Hazem Gamal, an IT executive with Robert Oppenheimer Funds. "Rather, we look for solutions that have got the least impact, but can best maximise a user's clip before, during and after meetings."

Large participants like and Microsoft recently unveiled solutions that promise to pull off everything from Blackberries to smart phones. In fact, Microsoft was a patron at the Hub Of The Universe event where executive directors pitched its System Center Mobile River 2008 software, introduced at CTIA last month, as well as other solutions.

The best solutions are those that tin acquire information into the custody of clients fast and without too much fuss, since the clients may be CEOs who pull off concerns ranging from $150M to more than than a billion dollars, Gamal poined out.

This is why some of the newer engineerings on the block may entice, but not enthrall those in the fiscal community. Apple's iPhone, for example, may have got a definite bombilation factor in the industry, but won't be bumping the trusty Blackberry sidearm in the close future.

"It is definitely an interesting device that is changing the kinetics of the endeavor market," said Sir Alexander Robertus Todd Christy, Pyxidium Mobile's CTO. In particular, the iPhone's show and browser capablenesses are putting pressure levels on Motorola and rim to up the engineering ante on their devices. But, "there is not much motion on the corporate side for the iPhone."

Just what is on the engineering wishing listing of most fiscal services types? Better screening screens, more than flexible device charging alternatives, improved voice recognition, and even gyroscopic movement detectors like the 1s implanted in the iPhone and the Nintendo Wii gambling system.

"This mightiness pave the manner to gesture-assisted mapping and scrolling," said Christy, whose ain company was getting ready to revolve out its up-to-the-minute mobile software.

At the end of the day, however, the greatest challenge is making the user interface easy to use, said Hadrian Iosifescu, IT frailty president for The Blackstone Group, a planetary fiscal advisory and plus manager. "What most people desire to see is something instantaneous. They're not willing to set up with tons of holds and complexity."